


Transcendence

by ChristaWolf



Series: Transcendence [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-05-13 00:43:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19240384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristaWolf/pseuds/ChristaWolf
Summary: A slightly different take on "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power". Growing up in the Fright Zone is hard enough. Growing up in the Fright Zone as one of the few trans members is even harder. Luckily for Adora and Catra, they meet a kind Force Captain who's a little more than she seems, and isn't afraid to protect the ones she loves. Family, as Adora and Catra will discover, is about more than just blood.





	1. Children of the Fright Zone

Lord Hordak’s inner sanctum still sent shivers up Shadow Weaver’s spine. Interrupted in her work by the sound of a crying baby, she stopped what she was doing and walked out into Hordak’s chamber. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the child: light skin, a small tuft of blonde hair, wrapped in a blanket. A part of her she didn’t even know she had seemed to rise up, and made her stop where she stood.

A child, she thought. I must take care of them. She turned away from the young one and went up to the throne, bowing. “Was your excursion successful, Lord Hordak?”

“I arrived too late,” said Hordak, glowering down at her with those ominous red eyes of his. “I found something, but it’s useless. Put it with the other orphans in the infirmary.”

Shadow Weaver turned to find the two guards holding the baby were already walking away. She turned back to Hordak and spoke quickly. “This one is different… can’t you feel it? They have power.”

Hordak sighed and put his head into one bony hand. “Fine, take it, just get it out of here!” he thundered.

As the baby was placed into Shadow Weaver’s arms, they stopped crying almost immediately, looking up at her with wide blue eyes, and reached out to touch her face.

Shadow Weaver chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry, little one… we’re going to do great things together.” And with that, she walked back to her own quarters, already thinking of names.

* * *

A year had passed since the child had arrived. Shadow Weaver had named him Adoro, and while he was too young to be of much use in physical combat, she could at least give him a proper Horde education. This, of course, meant stories about the evil Princesses of Etheria, beings of great power with no control over their own abilities.

Meanwhile, the Horde continued to expand its territory. One of the more recent acquisitions was a kingdom of cat-like humanoids with retractable claws, pointed ears, tails, and a thin coating of fur.

One of the Force Captains (a fearsome wolf-like woman named Catarrah Sicmet) reported that she’d found an orphanage that had been burned down recently. All the occupants had been killed, except for one: a boy by the name of Catro. Though Hordak had some doubts as to the young one’s usefulness, Shadow Weaver persuaded him to allow her to adopt Catro as well, on the theory that raising them as siblings might make them both strong.

The Horde was not as evil as their reputation suggested. All indigenous peoples of captured territories were put to work as “indentured servants,” and if they did their jobs adequately, they could join the Horde proper and work their way up from grunts to Force Captains, provided they lived long enough and didn’t give Hordak a reason to summon them into his rooms. (The turnover rate for Force Captains was appalling.)

As a proper Horde member, they were given food, lodging, and a surprisingly generous health care plan, including full dental coverage. Given the wide variety of species that served, this plan was more of a tactical advantage than anything else. After all, any defections would be punishable by death.

The only thing the Horde did not cover was maternity care. Children, though they made up the bulk of the recruits, were treated as adults from the time they began puberty. And puberty was something one only went through once. Never, in the Horde’s entire history, had anyone gone through puberty twice.

At least, that was the case before Shadow Weaver adopted her children. It wouldn’t be for much longer.

* * *

Adora didn’t like the sound of her given name. It sounded wrong to her ears, like it didn’t fit. Like it belonged to someone else. She had the same opinion about her body, it didn’t seem to fit her either. The short blonde hair, her height, her broad shoulders… none of them seemed right. But what could she do? It was the body she’d been given, it wasn’t like she could change it.

And anyway, she had more important things to worry about. The Horde’s entrance exam was coming up soon, and she had to pass it if she was going to remain in the Fright Zone with Catra, her younger sibling. Even being Shadow Weaver’s adoptive daughter wouldn’t be much of an advantage. As far as everyone else was concerned, she was just another cadet.

So with a sigh, Adora got up from her bunk, dressed, and walked down to the mess hall. Being a military organization, Horde breakfasts were not exactly the tastiest things in the universe. In fact, they were just about the most unappetizing thing on Etheria. They consisted entirely of an oatmeal-like substance that the Force Captains swore was packed with all the nutrients a soldier would need, and water.

After receiving her bowl of gruel and glass of water, Adora carried her tray over to an empty table and sat down, starting to eat. She wasn’t alone for long however, because within a minute or two she felt something leap up onto the bench next to her. Then a voice said, “Hey, Adoro.”

Adora jumped. “Oh! Uh, hey Catro! What’s up?” She frowned slightly, noticing something long was dangling from her friend’s mouth. And there was the crunching noises.

“Not much,” Catra replied. “Just grabbing my breakfast to go.” She swallowed and licked her lips. “Oh yeah, nothing like the taste of freshly caught mouse in the morning.”

“If you say so,” said Adora, wincing. “Hey, could you… uh… not call me Adoro?” She grinned hopefully.

Catra blinked. “Why? It’s your name. Unless you came up with something silly and embarrassing that you want instead, like… I don’t know, Adam.”

Adora shook her head, “No, I just don’t like Adoro, that’s all.”

Catra’s blue and yellow eyes narrowed. “Okay, but why? It’s been your name ever since we were babies. What’s changed now?”

“I just don’t think it fits me,” Adora admitted. “How I see myself, I mean.”

Catra scowled. “You’re not making any sense, but fine, sure. Whatever. What do you want me to call you?”

“Adora,” said she, after looking around and lowering her voice to ensure they wouldn’t be overheard.

Catra, who’d been eating Adora’s gruel during this entire conversation, almost spat it back out. “Seriously?!” she exclaimed, ignoring Adora’s rapid shushing movements entirely, “All this over a name that’s exactly the same as your old one but with one letter different?!” She rolled her eyes. “You humans are so weird.”

Before Adora could reply to this, the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a particular Force Captain: Catarrah Sicmet. She was tall, about 5’11”, with curly brown hair that fell down to her shoulders. Being a wolf, her fur was dark grey with cream colored markings, her eyes were hazel, and her face and body bore scars here and there from previous battles. She walked into the room, her claws clicking on the floor of the mess hall as she surveyed the cadets. “ATTENTION!” she barked.

The other cadets all sprung up and saluted, except for Catra, who simply looked over with mild interest. Catarrah locked eyes with Catra and said, “That means you too, Cadet Catro.”

“Fine...” Catra grumbled, standing and saluting.

“Here’s the deal!” Catarrah said, looking around at everyone. “I’ll be conducting the entrance examinations! There will be three rounds, for cadets whose names start with A through G, H through N, and O through Z! The first round will take place this afternoon at 1300 hours, and I expect all of you to be in attendance!” Again she glared at Catra. “Do I make myself clear?”  
“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” chorused the cadets.

Catarrah smiled, showing deadly sharp teeth. “Excellent. If anyone has any questions, feel free to come by my office. Until then, dismissed!”

As the cadets went back to chattering, Adora turned to Catra. “Should I tell her about my name?” she asked.

Catra shrugged and swished her tail. “If you want. Good luck, Adora.” She grinned.

Adora blushed faintly, and smiled. “Thanks. You too.”


	2. The Test

Later that day, Adora walked through the halls of the Fright Zone’s main complex, headed toward the area where the Force Captains offices were kept. After mulling it over all day in school, she’d made her decision: she would tell Catarrah her new name. Sure, she was scared, but it was worth it to hear a name that made her happy, right? She wasn’t entirely sure how Catarrah would react though. The huge wolf was something of an imposing presence, after all.

Still, Adora swallowed her fear and knocked on the door of Catarrah’s office, straightening her uniform as she did.

“Come in!” Catarrah barked.

Adora entered, saluting. “Force Captain Catarrah, I have... well, it isn’t exactly a question, more of a request.”

Catarrah looked up from the paperwork in front of her, raising an eyebrow quizzically. “Oh yes? Get on with it, Cadet.”

Adora gulped, and wrung her hands before speaking. “I... can you... call me... Adora, please? Ma’am?” she asked haltingly.

To Adora’s surprise, the wolf smiled. And not a toothy, predatory smile, but a kind one. “A surprisingly feminine name for someone who presents themselves as a boy,” she said. “Let me guess: you don’t like your old one much.”

Adora’s eyes widened. “How… how did you know?”

“Because, when I was a little pup, I was in the same place you are now,” Catarrah replied. “My mothers, Ace and Mags, taught me that it was okay to question things and make my own decisions. In time, I told them I wasn’t a boy at all, but a girl. They accepted it without question, and with the help of a sorceress from a place called Mystacor, I became the wolf I am today.”

Catarrah rose and walked over to Adora, pulling her into a gentle hug. “Cadet Adora, I promise to do all that I can to help you become who you want to be, whether masculine, feminine, somewhere in between, or neither.”

“How am I supposed to know?” Adora asked. “I see a boy every day in the mirror, but that doesn’t feel like me.”

Catarrah nodded. “People who are not like us do not spent large amounts of time questioning their sense of self,” she said. “My people had a word for this,” what followed was a strange noise that sounded a little like a growl and a bark, “but it doesn’t translate very well into Etherian. At its core however, it means to exist as someone whose internal self is one gender, but their exterior self is another.”

“How am I supposed to know if that’s me?” Adora asked.

“That’s a little more complicated,” Catarrah said. “But there is one way to tell.”

Adora groaned, “It’s the test later today, isn’t it?”

Catarrah nodded, chuckling. “Sure is. Run along now, Cadet. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Adora saluted and hurried back toward her barracks, new thoughts running through her mind.

* * *

Etheria has a somewhat odd relationship with gender. Women make up the vast majority of the planet’s population, and are found in leadership positions around the globe. This is even true of the Horde, women make up not only most of the recruits, but Force Captains as well. While it was not uncommon for a man to serve in the Horde, it didn’t happen very often.

It was generally assumed that women would be better positioned to handle the more complex and labor intensive tasks, while men would be better at general upkeep, maintenance, and guard work. To make sure this was backed up by evidence, the Horde had instituted a test to decipher which jobs a particular person would be best suited for. The test was simple: a person would be hooked up to a special machine that ran on magic, allowing that person’s aura to be read. The training exercises that followed were based on whether the result came up blue or pink.

For Adora however, the next few minutes had an extra layer of significance: today she would learn whether she was male or female. Even though she knew that in 99.9% of cases, one’s reported gender matched the one they were assigned at birth, there was always that one other time. The one where they didn’t match. Would that be her? She didn’t know.

Her name was called in short order, since it started with the first letter of the alphabet. She entered the little room where the machine was and sat down, saying little as Catarrah began hooking up wires and things to her person.

“Nervous?” the Force Captain asked, looking down at Adora. When Adora didn’t reply, she took the young girl’s hand in her own paw-like one, and squeezed it gently. “You’re going to do fine,” she said. “Just fine. Trust me?”

Another pause, and then Adora nodded. Catarrah pushed a button, and the machine hummed and whirred for several minutes, glowing white. Then, slowly, the white light began to shift colors, changing to a pastel pink.

Catarrah smiled. “Welcome to the ladies’ club, Adora. The room you want is on the left, I’ll report the results to Shadow Weaver while you’re training.”

Adora gulped. “Do you have to? What if she gets mad?”

Catarrah laughed, “She won’t. After all, she’s the one who changed me.” Then she went out another door, leaving Adora to join the girls for the first time.

* * *

Catarrah had known Shadow Weaver for a very long time, ever since she’d been a pup in the land known as Davdabhau. Back then, Shadow Weaver had been called Light Spinner, and was the only sorceress in Etheria capable of casting the gender alteration spell that she needed. So, once a month for five years, Shadow Weaver would come down from Mystacor to work her magic.

Years passed. After the first Princess Alliance collapsed, the protection Davdabhau had enjoyed went with it, and the place was taken by the Horde within a few moons. Catarrah’s mothers were put to work immediately, working as slaves. They urged their daughter to join the Horde so that she might someday free them all, and Catarrah did so with great reluctance.

So it was with casual confidence that the Davdabhauan entered Shadow Weaver’s room. It was dimly lit with red light, as always, and the Black Garnet stood tall in the center of the space, pulsing gently. Its raw power made the fur on Catarrah’s neck stand on end.

“Ah, Force Captain Catarrah,” Shadow Weaver said, stepping out of the darkness. “I suppose my wards have completed their tests?”

“Your eldest has,” Catarrah answered. “Congratulations, Shadow Weaver: it’s a girl.”

Shadow Weaver scowled. “I do not understand,” she said. “Are you playing a trick on me? Adoro has always been male.”

“Not according to that machine Emeralda built,” Catarrah replied. “The auras don’t lie. I plugged her in and it came up pink. Your son is actually your daughter, and you know what that means just as well as I do.”  
Shadow Weaver heaved a deep sigh. “Very well. I shall begin casting the spells as soon as she returns. Thank you, Catarrah.”

“Just doing my job, ma’am,” the wolf said, stepping back toward the door. “I’ll come back with Catro’s results in a few hours.” Then she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Catra sat alone on the roof of the barracks, looking deep in thought. Adora had come back from the test announcing that she not only passed, she got to train with the girls, rather than the boys. The other cadets didn’t seem to mind this, but not Catra. Her emotions were a little more complicated than that. One the one paw, she was happy for her now-sister, and was glad she’d be staying in the Horde. On the other paw, it felt as if she was losing a brother, someone she’d grown close to, a rare masculine presence in the estrogen-filled Horde. Now that had been taken away from her.

“Stupid humans and their stupid genders,” muttered Catra, her tail flicking furiously. Then her ears perked up as they caught the sound of a door opening. Catra looked over to see who it was, and chuckled. “Hey, Adora. I was just thinking about you.”

“You were?” Adora blushed. “Were they good thoughts?”

“Some of them,” Catra replied. “I’m glad you’re staying, but… I kinda miss what we used to have.”

Adora frowned slightly. “What do you mean, used to?” she asked. “I’m not that different, Catro. I just go by a different name and pronouns now.”

“Sure, you do now,” Catra said. “But what about later? You’re gonna start growing out your hair I bet, and maybe you’ll figure out how to change your body and go through girl puberty or something. Does Shadow Weaver know yet?”

Adora gulped. “Uh, yeah… she does. Catarrah said she was okay with it. Kinda.”

Catra sighed. “Great. So now everyone knows what you are. What about me, Adora? What about us? How are we supposed to be friends still?”

“We’ll find a way,” Adora said soothingly, reaching out to gently stroke Catra’s fur. “We always do.”

“If you say so,” muttered Catra, scooting herself closer to the blonde girl. Then she began to purr, just for Adora.

* * *

When Catarrah returned to Shadow Weaver’s chambers a couple hours later, the atmosphere couldn’t be more different. “I have Catro’s results, ma’am,” she began. “She passed.”

Shadow Weaver swooped over, her eyes narrowed. “She?” she hissed. “I have but one daughter, Force Captain, not two.”

“According to the analyzer, you do,” Catarrah said. “She came up pink, just like Adora.”

“Impossible!” Shadow Weaver thundered. “Perhaps the machine was malfunctioning!”

“Nope,” Catarrah said. “Emeralda said it’s in perfect working order, and I believe her.”

“Then have him run the test again!” Shadow Weaver shouted. “I will not allow this blatant attempt at attention-grabbing to move forward!”

“Or, alternatively, you could treat her as a girl, just like you do Adora!” Catarrah yelled, her ears pinning back. “It’s only fair! Goodness knows she deserves some equal treatment for once in her life!”

“I treat my wards with the respect they deserve,” Shadow Weaver said, getting up in Catarrah’s face. “Do not presume to critique me on my parenting skills, Force Captain Catarrah.”

“And don’t expect me to keep quiet,” Catarrah growled. “You’re damaging those girls, Shadow Weaver. Not everyone gets to have the kind of upbringing I had, but they should.”

“You dare to steal my wards away from me?” asked Shadow Weaver.

“We’ll see,” Catarrah replied, turning away. She left the room, all but slamming the door behind her.


	3. No Packmate Left Behind

The Horde’s officers quarters were much nicer than those given to the cadets. Each Force Captain had their own room, with a bed, a desk, an adjoining bathroom, and even a couple bookshelves for the more literary-minded ones. They were also decorated with some of the occupants’ personal effects, to add a little bit of color to proceedings. Catarrah’s room held a picture of her and her parents on the desk, a small stage magic kit, and some of her favorite Davdabhauan books.

Today, however, Catarrah wasn’t reading from the books, nor was she practicing her magic. She was lying down on her bed, throwing and catching a rubber ball. Her Force Captain uniform was draped haphazardly over her desk chair while the green badge rested on the bedside table next to her.

One bounce went too far and hit the wall across from her, missing the picture frame by inches. She sighed and sat up, going to fetch the ball, when her eyes fell on the photo: the last time she’d seen her mothers before the Horde came in, when they were happiest. “I miss you two,” she whispered, picking up the frame. “What would you do if you were here?”

She flopped down in her chair and closed her eyes, remembering her childhood. The way her mothers had comforted her when she told them she wasn’t a boy. “A true wolf never abandons her packmates,” Mama Ace had said. Sure enough, the other wolves in their village supported her just as strongly, and she’d grown up happy and healthy.

She thought of the Horde, and how in the span of a night, her village had become a fortress, with her species reduced to manual labor. Her parents had encouraged her to join in the hopes of improving their situation, but it hadn’t panned out; her parents passed away the day she’d made Force Captain.

She thought of Adora and Catra, two young girls who were struggling with the same problems she had, at the same age. She tried putting herself in their place, and found she’d likely be just as angry at the world as Catra was now. Who could blame her, what with that witch Shadow Weaver making their lives a living hell. Whatever had happened to Light Spinner, Catarrah knew the woman who’d helped her was effectively dead.

Again, Mama Ace’s words slipped into her mind. “A wolf never abandons her packmates...” she whispered. “Well... Catra and Adora may not be wolves... but they are pack. I have to save them. But how?”

Unsure, she collected her ball and went back to playing catch, staring off into the distance.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shadow Weaver was in conference with Lord Hordak, which mainly meant she was being read the riot act.  
“I have been informed that both of your wards are now laboring under the delusion that they are females,” said Hordak, glaring down from his throne at Shadow Weaver. “This sort of foolishness will not be tolerated within the Horde.”

“My Lord,” Shadow Weaver began, “I believe that only Adora’s claims are legitimate, Catro is only trying to draw attention to himself-”

“SILENCE!” boomed Hordak. “When I allowed you to raise them as your wards, I assumed you would mold them into true Horde soldiers. While I suppose you have done well enough with Adoro, Catro has proven to be a dismal failure, and Adoro may yet go the same way if his delusions are permitted to continue.” He narrowed his eyes. “Your new task is to… disabuse them of these notions. Should you fail, I will have all three of you exiled, as well as Force Captain Catarrah. Do I make myself clear, Shadow Weaver?”

“Yes, my Lord,” said Shadow Weaver. “I will do as you ask.” She left, returning to her chambers to plan.

* * *

“How can I possibly be a girl?” Catra was saying to Adora. The feline was pacing back and forth in front of their bunk, her claws clicking on the floor. “I’ve never had that feeling of something being wrong like you did!”

“Not everyone does,” Adora replied. “Catarrah told me. And that’s okay! Your aura came out pink, and that’s all that really matters.”

“It was a stupid test though,” Catra said, rolling her eyes. “I mean, it didn’t even make sense!”

“No, it didn’t,” Adora admitted. “But look at this way: did you want your aura to be blue?”

A pause. Then, Catra admitted: “No… I think I’m okay with pink… even if pink is a dumb color.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of another Force Captain, a dark haired human man. He stormed over to them and grabbed them roughly by the shoulders. “Shadow Weaver wants to see you two,” he said, starting to drag them both off toward the door.

“Hey, let us go!” Catra shouted, struggling to free herself. But she and Adora were too small and weak to properly escape, and off they went, into the bowels of Hell. Or at least, the room where Shadow Weaver kept the Black Garnet.

“Thank you for bringing them here, Force Captain Tylar,” said Shadow Weaver, as the two girls were strapped down. The Black Garnet glowed ominously, and Shadow Weaver’s hands began to crackle with red magic. “This will hurt a little, girls, but believe me when I say it is for your own good,” she said, turning to face the frightened children.

“W-w-what are you going to do to us?” Adora asked, her eyes wide with fear.

“Something I should have done a long time ago!” Shadow Weaver exclaimed. “By the time I am finished with the both of you, you will have no memory of ever pretending at being female, nor will you remember Force Captain Catarrah! It is her fault you are deluded, but no matter! Everything will be as it was!” She bent down. “You first, Adora…” She placed her hands on either side of the blonde girl’s head, and Adora began to scream.

* * *

Catarrah was on her way back from the mess hall, carrying a tray in her hands as she walked. She preferred to eat in private, away from the other Force Captains. She was unaware that Catra and Adora were being held prisoner and tortured, at least until her keen hearing picked up the sounds of screams.

But not just any screams. Human screams. Screams belonging to a young girl, probably nine years old.

Catarrah threw her tray to the side, sending it clattering to the floor, and her food along with it. “Hold on, you two,” she growled. “I’m coming.” She dove onto all fours and began to shift slightly, her hands changing into front paws, her body lengthening and becoming more streamlined, like those of her wild four-legged cousins. Her uniform ripped apart and she shook off the remains, now 7 feet long from nose to tail, and taller too.

Then, she did the only thing she could: she ran to the sound of the screams.

* * *

Catra’s eyes were wide with fear as she watched Adora scream in pain. The Black Garnet was glowing so brightly, she had to close her eyes to keep from going blind, but she could still just make it out even through her eyelids.

Then there was a tremendous noise as the door to Shadow Weaver’s room burst apart. On the other side was an enormous wolf, with a grey pelt, cream markings, and hazel eyes that were practically glowing with fury. “GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTERS, SHADOW WEAVER,” she roared, her voice reverberating off the walls of the chamber. It was deeper too, Catra noticed.

Then, she paused. “Daughters? Us?” Catra thought.

Shadow Weaver looked up and took her hands from Adora’s head, rounding on Catarrah. “THEY ARE MINE!” she shouted back. “AND ONCE I AM THROUGH HERE, EVERY MEMORY OF YOU AND YOUR LIES WILL BE WIPED FROM THEIR MINDS FOREVER!”

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Catarrah thundered, pouncing on the dark sorceress. 200 pounds of raw wolf muscle was nothing to sneeze at, and Shadow Weaver fell to the ground, too surprised to magically defend herself.

After a few moments though, Shadow Weaver’s hands began to glow again as she tried to magically attack the enraged wolf, who was scratching and biting her. Catarrah yowled in pain as one of Shadow Weaver’s spells struck true, but the fight continued nonetheless.

“Catra! Can you cut through these straps?!” Adora shouted, once she’d gotten her breath back.

“Maybe!” Catra replied, starting to wriggle her limbs. The straps were meant for a fully-grown adult, and since she wasn’t one, the fit was just loose enough to allow for limited movement. With some concentration, she was able to free her hands from the wrist restraints, and used her claws to slice through the straps around her upper arms, then the ones on her legs.

Once this was done, she leapt off the chair she’d been restrained to and went to free Adora, making a few cuts in each strap. “You okay?” she asked.

Adora shrugged. “Other than the pounding headache, yeah… I’m fine. You?”

“No problems here,” Catra said, as Shadow Weaver and Catarrah continued to fight.

Though Shadow Weaver had plenty of magic to spare, she was quite physically weak, which meant it was easy for Catarrah to overpower her. Soon, the witch lay in a heap, alive but injured, and unconscious.

“About time,” growled Catarrah, turning to Catra and Adora. She began to shift back from quadruped to bipedal form again, now naked, save for her thick fur coat. “Come on, you two. We’re ditching this place.”

“What?! Why?!” Adora asked, looking bewildered.

Catarrah narrowed her eyes, “In brief? Shadow Weaver was horrifically abusive to both of you, and the Horde is no place for girls like us to grow up. We’re going to the only place on Etheria where the Horde can’t get us: Bright Moon.” Then, she grabbed one hand each in both of hers, and ran with them down the hall toward the vehicle storage bays.

* * *

Catarrah barged into the first bay, scaring the daylights out of the attendant. “What the?! Force Captain Catarrah?! What are you doing here?! Why are you naked?! Why are Shadow Weaver’s wards with you?!”

“No time to explain, Cadet,” Catarrah barked. “I need a skiff and I need it now. Got it?” Between the patches of scorched fur and the fact that she was bearing her very sharp fangs at the young cadet, there was no room for argument.

“Right away, ma’am!” the cadet said, grabbing a piece of paper.

Catarrah wrote her name and the time, then jumped into the first skiff she saw, pulling Catra and Adora in with her. She started the engine, and soon they were off, zooming toward the Whispering Woods.

Their departure didn’t go unnoticed. In what seemed like no time at all, they were being shot at by Horde soldiers in their own skiffs. “DAMMIT!” Catarrah swore. “And we’re unarmed too!” She sighed heavily and pushed the skiff onward, but in her haste, they ended up crashing into a tree.

The three fugitives fell out of the skiff and onto the ground, which began to smoke. Adora got up first and looked around, surveying the surroundings. She couldn’t see or hear any Horde soldiers, which was good. But she could feel something strange, some kind of power.

“Does anyone else feel that?” Adora asked, looking to her companions.

“Feel what?” Catra asked.

Adora shrugged. “I don’t know… I just feel something. An energy of some kind. I can’t really describe it.”

“Think on it later, cadet,” Catarrah barked. “We can’t stay here, the others will be on our tails in a few minutes. I can smell them from here.”

“So, what can we do?” Catra asked. “The skiff is broken!”

Catarrah smiled. “Run, of course.” She shifted forms again, dropping onto all fours. “You two, get on my back! I’ll carry you to Bright Moon!”

“Do you even know where it is?” Catra asked, climbing onto the wolf’s back with some difficulty.

Catarrah nodded. “We’ll find it. Hold on tight!” And she began to run again, with the two young girls riding along on her back.

* * *

Hours passed. After a while the sounds of soldiers faded away, the strange magic of the woods helped the three fugitives lose their pursuers. Soon the sky began to brighten with the approaching dawn, as Etheria’s day moons took the place of their nocturnal counterparts.

Soon, they passed through the last of the trees and found themselves on a small shoreline, surrounded by cliffs and waterfalls. In the distance was a castle.

“HALT!” shouted some voices. Guards came down to meet them, dressed in armor. “What business brings you to this place?” asked one. “Are you members of the Horde?”

“We were,” said Catarrah, who’d shifted back into bipedal form by now. “My name is Catarrah Sicmet, and these are my adoptive daughters, Adora and Catra. We’ve come to seek sanctuary in your kingdom.”

One of the guards narrowed her eyes. “It is not customary to offer sanctuary to our enemies,” she said. “We’ll have to bring you to Queen Angella.”

“Make it so,” said Catarrah, falling into step behind the two guards. The girls followed suit, and in this way the five of them proceeded up to the main castle, and from there into the throne room.

The woman in the throne approached the newcomers, looking wary. “Guards, what is the meaning of all this?” she asked.

“Horde soldiers have managed to find their way through the Whispering Woods, ma’am,” said the second guard.

“Well, one Horde soldier and two young children who can barely do more than basic hand-to-hand combat,” Catarrah interrupted.

“Explain yourselves,” said the winged, purple-skinned woman, stepping onto the main platform of the throne room.

Catarrah bowed. “My name is Catarrah Sicmet, and until quite recently I was indeed a soldier of the Horde, a Force Captain to be specific. These two,” she gestured to Catra and Adora, “were raised by Hordak’s chief witch, a woman named Shadow Weaver. To say she was unsuitable for rearing pups would be an understatement.”

“Why did you come here?” asked the queen. “Do you intend to tell the Horde how to escape the Whispering Woods?”

Catarrah shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, I’d like to do the opposite.” She stood tall, and met the queen’s eyes. “We wish to join the Rebellion.”


	4. The Sword in the Forest

“Why should I believe a word you say?” asked Angella. “You come into this place with a truly impossible story, and you expect me to think you are telling the truth? How do I know you are not a decoy, sent to distract us while the Horde launches an assault on Bright Moon?”

Catarrah sighed. “With all due respect, your majesty, but if the Horde were launching an assault they would not have sent me in to speak with you at all. If anything, you would have been captured and held prisoner, then killed once we were finished with you. And it wouldn’t even be difficult.”

She began to pace. “Even before the Alliance fell, the Horde was growing in strength,” Catarrah continued. We had more soldiers, more supplies, more weapons. We had tactical advantages that the Rebellion lacked, and when it fell, that gave us the ability to take over the rest of the planet. The only thing keeping Bright Moon from being the Horde’s new HQ is that enormous forest. If we could get past that, I can guarantee Bright Moon would be ours in no time. But that’s not why I’m here.”

“What do you intend to do?” Angella wondered. “Boost our defenses?”

“Even better.” Catarrah smiled. “Allow me and the girls to remain here, and I can train your people into a fighting force to be proud of. You need someone with intimate, insider knowledge of Horde tactics, strengths, and weaknesses, and… well, it doesn’t get much better than an ex-Force Captain. You can’t solely rely on a group of princesses to do your dirty work, you need brute force too. I can give you that.”

Angella nodded. “But again, why should I trust you?”

“A personal story, if I may?” Catarrah asked. At Angella’s nod, she began. “Truth be told, I never actually believed in the Horde’s cause. When they marched into Davdabhau, my parents were chained and forced to do manual labor. They all but begged me to join the Horde if it meant I could someday use my position to free them, and I tried… but the day I made Force Captain, they died. Ever since then, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to defect. I’ve never been a believer in their cause. If I was, I wouldn’t be here now.”

“It’s true,” said Adora, speaking for the first time. “A little bit ago, I realized something very important about myself, and Catarrah was the only person I knew who would even be willing to help me. No one else could, or would. Just a few hours ago, she jumped in to save Catra and me not because she’d been ordered to, but because it was the right thing to do. An evil person wouldn’t do that, would they?”

Angella shook her head, and a small smile appeared. “No, an evil person most definitely would not do that,” she said, ruffling Adora’s hair. “I suppose the only thing left to say at this point is, welcome to the Rebellion, Catarrah, Adora, and Catra.”

“It’s an honor to be here,” replied Catarrah, smiling warmly. “Any chance you could furnish me with some clothes?”

Angella chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

True to her word, Catarrah began to whip the Rebellion’s scattered people into shape, forming platoons and insisting upon daily training sessions. This took a lot of work, since they had no formal military experience. They learned Horde passcodes, fighting techniques, and even guard shift change times. They learned how to subdue their opponents without resorting to weapons, and which weapons to use in the event of a firefight. When the time came to use those skills in a real battle, they were able to make some progress in recapturing some Horde territory.

Adora and Catra, however, were too young to really fight, so instead they made friends with Angella’s daughter Glimmer, and her best friend, Bow. There was some early distrust, but as the Rebellion began to win, this faded over time. Angella was even able to help Adora and Catra with their transitions, which they were both thankful for.

Slowly but surely, the two former Horde children began to grow up, blossoming from girls into young women. They began to fight too, and joined Glimmer and Bow on the fields of battle on many occasions. It was because of them, in fact, that the Siege of Elberon was a success, albeit a narrow one.

There was, however, one mystery that remained unsolved: the legend of She-Ra.

According to myth, she was a warrior princess who served as Etheria’s chief defender in times of need, but the previous She-Ra had gone mad, unable to carry the weight of the title. For a thousand years afterward, there was no She-Ra, and Etheria was plunged into a millennium of darkness. The legends said she carried something called the Sword of Protection, a piece of powerful tech created by the First Ones. It had gone missing after Mara’s betrayal, and hadn’t been found since.

* * *

It was nighttime at Bright Moon. Adora was asleep in her room, dreaming of swords and powerful women. Someone kept calling her name, but she couldn’t see who it was. When she wandered into the dining hall for breakfast the next day, her hair was a tangled mess, and there were bags under her eyes.

“Hey Adora,” said Catra, waving to the blonde-haired girl. “What happened to you? You look like a wreck.”

“Weird dreams,” Adora said, sitting down beside Catra at the table. The plates filled themselves with all kinds of delicious foods, and the two of them began to help themselves. “Women with swords and someone calling my name.”

Catra smirked. “Sounds more like some kinda fetish to me, but don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.” She stuck her tongue out. “I guess this has to do with what we learned in school yesterday?”

Adora nodded as she cut up her waffle. “Yup. It made me think of when we came here, and we ran through the Whispering Woods… remember that strange feeling I had?”

Catra shrugged. “Kinda. You think it could be connected to Her-Ra or whatever?”

“Maybe,” said Adora. “I’m not really sure.”

“Well, if you ask me, I don’t think there’s anything in it,” said Catra. “You heard what Bow’s dads said, Dor. Even if She-Ra existed, there’s no finding her now. Besides, we’ve been in the Whispering Woods thousands of times since we got here, and never found a thing.”

Adora shook her head rapidly. “Look Catra, I know I saw something out there all those years ago. I just need to get another look. It feels important somehow.”

Catra sighed. “I guess I’ll come, and you know Sparkles and Bow will be all over this.”

Adora nodded. “Yup. Meet me at the front doors in twenty minutes, I’m telling Mom where we’re going.” And she ran off to Catarrah’s office.

* * *

A few minutes later, Adora had arrived at Catarrah’s office door. She knocked a few times and said, “Mom? It’s me!”

“Come on in!” Catarrah replied, and as Adora entered, she rose and embraced her eldest, smiling and nuzzling Adora’s cheek with her cold nose. “There’s my brave warrior! What are you up to today?”

In the decade that had passed since their arrival, her brown curls had begun to turn grey, and she’d picked up more scars.

“I was thinking of going back to the Whispering Woods,” said Adora. “I can remember feeling some kind of energy there back when we came here, and I want to find out what it was.”

Catarrah frowned. “Lieutenant, it’s been nearly ten years since we arrived here, what energy you may have felt is probably long gone, if it hasn’t been taken by the Horde already. And I’m not sure I want you that close to enemy territory.” She met her daughter’s eyes. “Shadow Weaver’s still out there, you know… what if she captures you?”

“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Adora said, looking back to Catarrah. “I’m not going alone, I’ll have Catra, Glimmer, and Bow with me! And in case any Horde soldiers are there, we’ll be able to handle them. I learned from the best, after all.”

Catarrah blushed and relented. “Fine, go and look all you want. But be careful, okay? If you’re not back by nightfall, I’ll lead a platoon into the forest to come looking for you.”

“Got it,” said Adora, hugging her mom tight. “Thanks Mom.”

Catarrah smiled again. “You’re welcome, pup.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Adora, Catra, Glimmer, and Bow were walking through the Whispering Woods, headed toward the clearing where Adora remembered feeling the strange energy.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way, Bow?” Glimmer asked after a few hours, looking to the brown-skinned boy. “It seems like we’ve been going in circles.”

Bow shrugged, and held up his trackpad. “I can only hope so. This thing is just acting up. Looks like it's being overloaded by the tech's signal.”

“Maybe if you put your pad down and used these things called eyes, you might be able to navigate better,” snarked Catra. “Sparkles is right, we have been going in circles. All. Morning.”

“What’s your point, Catra?” Bow asked, glaring at the feline girl. “Think you can navigate better? You’re welcome to try.”

“Maybe I will!” Catra snarled, her ears flattening. “I’m a natural-born hunter, not like you stupid apes!”

“ENOUGH!” Adora shouted. “Guys, I know it’s almost noon and we haven’t made much progress yet, but that’s no reason to get at each others’ throats. Let’s take a break, then we can back to it.”

The other three nodded and each began to unpack the lunches the royal cooks had made for them. Bow looked over to Catra and sighed. “Sorry I shouted at you, Catra. I’m just frustrated, this forest is so big, and navigating it isn’t easy.”

“I’m sorry too,” Catra admitted. “Humans aren’t stupid. You can be a pain in the tail sometimes, but you aren’t stupid.”

Bow laughed. “No kidding. Lemme tell ya about growing up with twelve older brothers…”

* * *

They passed the afternoon in relative peace, talking amongst themselves as the search continued. Eventually, as the daymoons began to set, they reached a clearing, where Adora could see the crashed, rusted wreck of the skiff they’d used in their escape from the Fright Zone.

“Feel anything?” Catra asked.

Adora shook her head. “Not yet… wait!” A rising nightmoon passed from behind from behind a cloud, and the area began to glow with an otherworldly light. And something shiny was glinting.

Bow gasped. “Hey you guys, look! I see something! I can’t tell what it is from here, but it’s definitely First Ones tech!”

“And the skiff is covering it,” Catra added. “We’ll have to clear it away, but the plants are going to make that hard.”

“We’ll just have to do our best,” said Adora, walking toward the rusted skiff. “Come on everyone, let’s get to work!” Working together, Bow and Catra began cutting the vines away from the skiff, using arrowheads and claws respectively. Once that was done, Glimmer and Adora worked on moving the skiff to another part of the clearing.

Once that was done, they heard the sounds of marching feet, and from behind them came Catarrah, flanked by six Rebellion soldiers. “Told you I’d come looking,” she said, hugging each of her daughters in turn. “What have you found?”

“It looks like some kind of sword,” said Bow, kneeling to get a closer look. “I can see First Ones writing on the blade!” After clearing the vines away, he tried to lift it, but found he couldn’t. “Ugh… either this thing is heavier than it looks, or it’s got some kind of spell or something on it…”

“Let me try,” said Adora, stepping over. She grabbed the hilt and lifted it easily above her head. Then, everything went white.

* * *

Adora found herself in a strange place, like a crystal castle. A purple-blue skinned woman approached her and said pleasantly, “Hello, Adora.”

Adora gasped. “Who are you? What's going on? Where am I?” she asked.

“My name is Light Hope,” replied the woman. “I have been waiting a long time for you, but I could not reach you until you forged your connection with the sword.”

“You sent the sword?” Adora asked.

Light Hope nodded. “The sword is meant for you. Etheria has need of you, Adora. Will you answer its call? Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?”

Adora’s mind raced. Everything was happening so quickly, and it seemed as though the legends of She-Ra were real after all! She knew there was only one way she could answer. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

* * *

The next thing Adora knew, the sword was on the ground, and her friends were gathered around her with identical looks of concern on their faces. Catra and Catarrah’s tails flicked in agitation. “Whoa… what happened?” she asked, sitting up. “The last thing I remember was lifting the sword, and then I was in some other place… there was this woman, and she spoke to me.”

“What did she say?” Catarrah asked, helping Adora to her feet.

Adora closed her eyes, trying to remember. “She said… ‘The sword is meant for you. Etheria has need of you, Adora. Will you answer its call? Will you fight for the honor of Grayskull?’”

Catarrh gasped, her hands flying to her cheeks. “By all the moons of Etheria… I never thought it possible…”

“What?” Catra asked, her hands on her hips. “What’s the big deal?”

“That sword isn’t just any sword,” Catarrah explained. “It’s the Sword of Protection, wielded only by those of the She-Ra line. Adora… you’re the new She-Ra.”

“How can she be She-Ra?” Bow asked, looking thunderstruck. “My dads always said she was just a legend!”

“Oh, she’s real, alright,” Catarrah said. “In Davdabhau, we called her the Great Protector.” Then the ground began to shake beneath her paws, and she looked down. “Looks like we’ve got company!” she exclaimed. “Troops, take defensive positions now!”

The six uniformed Rebellion soldiers quickly complied, with Adora, Catra, Bow, and Glimmer falling in nearby. Catarrah took her place behind them all, in full military commander mode. (Her new rank was Squad General, the Rebellion’s equivalent to a Horde Force Captain.) “Prepare to fire on my mark,” she said. “Bow, I hope you’ve got some of your special effect arrows on you.”

“Always, ma’am,” said Bow, saluting as the uniformed soldiers readied their guns.

They didn’t have to wait long, because in no time at all, the ground burst apart as an enormous spider-like creature came up from beneath, roaring loudly.

“FIRE!” Catarrah shouted, and the air was filled with the sounds of laser guns firing their beams toward the creature. The only problem was, the lasers seemed to not have any effect; instead they bounced off its carapace and went ricocheting off into the trees. Bow fired off one of his special arrows, and a green slime covered the spider’s mouth, keeping it from biting them.

Not to be outdone, Glimmer began sending bursts of magical light toward the beast, but just like with the lasers, they seemed to have no effect. Instead, Glimmer was thrown into a tree, and as the spider was about to bear down on her, another shot from Bow (a rope arrow this time) allowed him to pull it away from her, if only briefly.

As the spider tried to attack Glimmer again, Adora saw her chance. She grabbed the sword from its place on the ground and shouted, “HEY! BUG BRAIN! COME OVER HERE!”

And it did so, skittering toward Adora and roaring again, fangs bared. But Adora was ready for it. She lifted the sword above her head and it caught the light of the moons above, shinning bright like a beacon. Awed, Adora remembered a key phrase Light Hope had said, and shouted with all her might: “FOR THE HONOR… OF GRAYSKULL!”


	5. Dawn of Darkness

The next moment, Adora was enveloped in a flash of light as she began to transform. Her clothes became a white dress with gold accents and matching boots, with a red-lined cape that streamed out behind her. She grew a foot in size, until she matched Bow’s height. Her mother had taught her and Catra how to fence when they were younger, so she thrust at the beast with her sword, pretending it was just another fencing lesson.

The others weren’t taking this sudden change in quite as much stride, however. “Glimmer?! Are you seeing this?!” Bow asked, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, I see her, Bow,” said Glimmer, sounding stunned.

“Okay, I wanted to make sure it wasn't just me,” Bow replied. “How about you, Catra?”

“…This is the hottest thing I have ever seen,” was the cat-girl’s reply.

The creature bore down on her, but Adora was ready! She stabbed, thrust, and parried every attack, grunting with each movement as she moved closer to it. “I NEED A WEAK SPOT! ANYONE GOT ANY IDEAS?!”

“Try its belly!” Bow suggested.

Adora dove and began to crawl beneath the creature while Catarrah shifted into her battle form, keeping it distracted with her claws and fangs. While chitin covered most of the spider’s body, as Bow had predicted, the belly was the softest part, and so was unprotected. Adora thrust forward one last time and the sword went straight through, splattering her with bright green ichor. The creature spasmed and then lay still, dead.

Adora changed back into her normal self, covered in green goo. “Oh gross… what is this stuff?!”

“Blood, I think,” said Catra, taking a few sniffs. “Yeah, definitely blood. It’s just a different color.”

“Will it stain?” Adora asked, still looking disgusted.

Catarrah shrugged. “Hard to say. I saw a creek about half a mile back from here, try washing your clothes in it. Ms. Noella, go with her in case any adversaries pop up.”

“Yes, General,” said one of the soldiers, leading Adora off toward the river.

With night having fallen completely, Catarrah looked up into the sky. “Hmm… it’s too late to go back to Bright Moon now, we’ll have to make camp and hope the Horde doesn’t realize we’re here.”

Bow raised his hand, “We, uh, could always go and stay with my dads? I’m pretty sure I can find our house from here, I practically grew up in these woods.”

Catarrah thought this over. “Let’s see… there’s seven of us and the four of you, which makes eleven… they should have just enough room for all of us.” She looked back in the direction Adora and Sergeant Noella had gone, and added: “But first, we have to pick up our wayward hero.” She led the group toward the river.

* * *

Meanwhile, Adora busily scrubbed her clothes, doing her best to get the bug slime out of them. Noella kept a silent guard a few feet away. So engrossed was Adora in her task that she didn’t even notice anyone else was there until a shadow fell over her, blocking the moonlight. Then, a familiar voice purred, “Well, well, well… the prodigal daughter has returned.”

Adora felt her blood turn to ice, and she looked up. “…Shadow Weaver? What are you doing here?”

Shadow Weaver chuckled quietly, and stroked Adora’s cheek with a bony finger. “Oh, just rescuing you from the clutches of the mueling quims you’ve spent the last ten years being surrounded by… don’t worry, I’ll be sure to set things right, as I mold you into the Force Captain you were born to be.”

“What makes you think I’d go anywhere with you?!” Adora shot back, standing up and drawing her sword. “I don’t want to be a Force Captain, or part of the Horde in any way at all! The Rebellion is where I belong!”

“Are you sure?” Shadow Weaver asked. “Why would you ever think you belonged anywhere but with me? I was an outsider like you once, a long time ago… you’ve spent so many years with people who claim to love you, but they don’t… Not like I do, Adora. That mangy dog you’ve spent all this time around? I bet she’s been secretly plotting to exile you. You can’t trust wolves, you know.”

“But I’ve spent half my life there…” Adora said softly, her resolve weakening. Her grip on the sword’s hilt slackened. “Catarrah said ‘no packmate left behind…’”

“A lie, and little more,” Shadow Weaver continued. “The moment you step out of line, you’ll be thrown out like that.” She snapped her fingers for emphasis. “You remind me so much of my younger self… Come home with me, and we’ll show them all what you’re really capable of.” Her eyes fell on the sword, and she slipped it out from Adora’s hand. “And imagine how they might react… when the mighty She-Ra herself is on our team.” She looked back into Adora’s eyes. “Come home, Adora. The Horde needs you.”

And without even realizing it, Adora quietly followed after the witch, and back toward the place where she spent her earliest years.

* * *

Catarrah and her band arrived at the stream a few minutes after Adora and Shadow Weaver left, missing Adora by moments. The wolf stopped short. “She’s not here…”

“Ma’am, Sergeant Noella’s been knocked out,” one of the cadets reported.

“There should be smelling salts in my pack, Cadet,” Catarrah said, beginning to sniff the air. “She must have wandered off… but there’s no sign of a struggle…”

“Mom?” broke in Catra. “I can smell her.” Her tail frizzed in agitation. “I bet she lured Adora away, with some fake promises. And I don’t see the sword, which means she knows Adora could be She-Ra.”

“And if the Horde gets She-Ra, that’s very bad news for the rest of Etheria…” Glimmer said. “What can we do?”

“We return to Bright Moon immediately,” Catarrah barked. “We’ll need a lot more than a pawful of soldiers and generals to face off against the Horde.”

“We’re retreating?!” Catra snarled, her teeth bared. “Whatever happened to ‘No packmate left behind?!’”

“Enough, Commander Catra,” Catarrah said, looking down at the wildcat. “We’ll bring Adora home soon, I promise. But we don’t have enough people to fight the Horde right now. We can’t rescue her if we’re all dead.”

“Fine…” Catra grumbled, falling into step beside the wolf as they began the long march back to Bright Moon.

* * *

Adora and Shadow Weaver made their way back to the Fright Zone, following the same route the skiff had taken all those years ago, when Adora, Catra, and Catarrah had first escaped. “I haven’t been back in such a long time...” Adora was saying. “I hope no one thinks I’m a traitor or anything, with how long I’ve been gone.”

Shadow Weaver chuckled and stroked Adora’s hair. “It will be all right,” she said. “You’re something of a prodigal daughter among the cadets, Adora. They see the rebels you lived with as little more than glorified kidnappers, as do I. But now you can put them behind you, and focus on the glory that awaits. Etheria still needs to be unified, and with She-Ra’s power at our disposal, we will be unstoppable. Doesn’t that sound good?”

Adora looked down to the sword in her hand and smiled. “Yeah... it does.”

Soon, the two of them strolled through the main entrance of the Fright Zone, and from there into Hordak’s rooms. Lord Hordak himself sat in his throne, looking balefully down upon Shadow the two of them. “I sent you into the forest on a separate mission, and you bring me your old ward and a sword?” he said. “I am beginning to wonder why I keep you around, Shadow Weaver.”

“My Lord, this is the Sword of Protection,” replied Shadow Weaver, handing it to him. “It has been lost for a thousand years, until today… it is meant for Adora to carry. According to the legends, with it she can become She-Ra.”

That got Hordak’s attention. “And by bringing her here, you intend to use the Rebellion’s greatest threat against it?”

Shadow Weaver nodded. “If I have your leave, of course.”

Hordak took the sword in both hands, running his bony fingers along the hilt, and then the blade. Then he did something that neither of the two women below him had seen in their lives: he smiled. “You have more than that, Shadow Weaver. I order you to bring She-Ra on to our side, use whatever techniques you must in order to achieve this. Am I understood?”

“Yes, my Lord,” said Shadow Weaver, taking Adora’s hand. “Come along, my daughter… I think your new training regimen will go quite smoothly…” They left, with Shadow Weaver escorting Adora to the Force Captain barracks.

* * *

For Adora, re-adjusting to Horde routines after a decade away took a bit of doing, to say nothing of her new digs. She’d been housed in Catarrah’s old room, if the profusion of moth-eaten clumps of fur and dusty photos of her as a pup were any indication. She swept them off the desk and threw them into the trash, as if putting her old life as a rebel soldier behind her. Now she would fight for the Horde, and for the unity of Etheria.

On her first full day back, Shadow Weaver summoned Adora into her lab. “Ah, Adora… so glad you could join me,” she purred, stroking Adora’s cheek. “Have you brought your sword as I requested?”

Adora nodded, pulling it free from its scabbard. “Right here. What do you need it for?”

“Oh, just a little experiment,” Shadow Weaver said. “Do you know much about the Sword of Protection?”

Adora thought for a few moments. “I know the topaz stone in the hilt is actually a runestone, which gives the sword its power. Why do you want to know?”

“The Black Garnet is a runestone as well,” Shadow Weaver explained, picking the sword up. “Theoretically, a connection could be forged between the two, and doing that would increase the sword’s power exponentially. You’d become unstoppable.” She smiled behind her mask. “Is this something you want, Adora?”

“It sounds great,” Adora said, smiling. “Let’s do it!”

“Excellent,” said Shadow Weaver, and with glowing hands, she touched the Black Garnet first, then the Sword, using her connection with the former to bring dark power into the the latter. The stone began to change colors, shifting from blue to purple as more power was added, then red. The hilt changed too, becoming obsidian rather than gold.

It was over in a matter of seconds. Shadow Weaver stepped back, and spoke. “It is finished. You may touch the sword now, Adora.”

Adora nodded and took up the sword again, then screamed as dark magic coursed from the sword through her body, covering her in black smoke. Inside, she began to change: her skin paled, her blonde hair turned black, and her eyes became red, with pupils like a snake’s. When the smoke cleared, she faced Shadow Weaver with a dark smile. “I feel so powerful… so much stronger… so much better than I ever was before. Thank you… Mother,” she said, in a deeper voice.

Shadow Weaver stroked Adora’s cheek. “You are welcome, my daughter,” she replied.

* * *

Weeks passed. Adora began to settle into a new routine: solo sword training in the morning after breakfast, then afternoon drills with her platoon following lunch. When dinner was over, she spent her evenings in her quarters, reviewing the latest reports from the Horde’s many satellite outposts and planning out plans of attack for territories they had yet to recapture. Her first battle would be coming soon, and she needed to be ready.

Her big moment came when they were sent to recapture the kingdom of Plumeria. A small agricultural community, it had been under the Horde’s control until eight years ago, when Catarrah had liberated it as her first mission for the Rebellion. Now it would be up to Adora and her troops to undo that progress, and show a new generation of Plumerians what true Etherian unity was all about.

Truth be told, the Rebellion had seen this coming. Horde scouts had been seen in disguise at various times over the preceding days, and so Queen Angella had sent Glimmer out to keep an eye on things. She and her small regiment had been patrolling the place, and while so far nothing had happened, Glimmer could feel that something was amiss.

On the day of the battle, it began to rain. While this wasn’t uncommon, (plants had to grow somehow, after all, and light showers helped with that) this particular rainstorm was different. Instead of light grey skies and a warm, gentle rain, the clouds on this day were dark grey, almost black, and visibly churned in the sky. Thunder as loud as cannons boomed, and the rain lashed down in great sheets.

In the tent they were using as a makeshift headquarters, Glimmer had her hands full just keeping a shield spell going, but then word came that Horde troops were marching toward them. “Uh… um… fire at will!” Glimmer said into her radio, looking nervous.

And so battle was joined. Scorpia, a white-haired woman with the tail and claws of a scorpion, was leading the Horde troops, but the weather was making it difficult for either side to make much of a dent. Between the stinging, ice cold rain and the gale-force winds, to say nothing of the thunder and lightning, neither rebels nor Horde soldiers were having an easy time of things.

Soon, both Scorpia and Glimmer called for a time out. “Force Captain Scorpia, we need a new plan of action,” said a second lieutenant. “This weather isn’t helping at all like we’d hoped.”

Scorpia grinned broadly. “I got just the thing,” she said. “Hey Adora, ready for your big debut?”

“I am,” said Adora, drawing her sword. “Let’s get started.” And without a care in the world, she stepped out into the storm.

The rain did not care for Adora, it soaked her to the bone almost instantly. But as she drew her sword, it seemed to stop for her and her alone, as if afraid. With her midnight-black hair streaming behind her, she took her stance and swung the sword into the sky, letting out a fierce battle cry: “FOR THE UNITY OF ETHERIA!”

Then she transformed, growing taller, while her outfit changed into a black ensemble with red accents, where before it had been white and gold. Then she dove into the rebel camp, and what followed after this was pandemonium.

Though the rebels tried to fight the one-woman army, the black magic she wielded meant that even Glimmer barely managed to keep up. In the end, almost all the rebel soldiers were massacred. The Plumerians waved the white flag, and the rest of the Horde marched forward, victorious.


	6. The Battle of Thaymor

In Angella’s war room, the mood was bleak. The battle of Plumeria had been the first of over a dozen rebel losses, meaning almost every kingdom on the planet had a red pin stuck in it, marking Horde territory. Catarrah paced in front of this map, her swagger stick tucked under her arm. Bow, Glimmer, and Catra sat at the table, wearing grim expressions. There were two empty chairs: the one to Catra’s left (meant for Adora), and one for Angella, who hadn’t arrived yet.

Then the door opened and the Queen of Bright Moon came in, taking her seat at the head of the table. “Ladies and gentleman, how goes the war?” she asked.

“To be blunt, quite badly, ma’am,” Catarrah answered. “With the return of Dryl to the Horde yesterday, we’ve now lost almost every territory we managed to liberate, with three exceptions: Bright Moon, Mystacor, and Thaymor. Obviously, they can’t get through the woods, which leaves us safe, and Mystacor is protected by the Lunar Lenses, which leaves Thaymor. They haven’t sent any squads yet, but our spies in the village have reported some reconnaissance. We think they might attempt a recapture within the next few days.”

Angella nodded. “Very well, see to it that Thaymor’s defenses are strengthened to the limit. Is there anything else?”

Glimmer spoke up next. “It’s like what we were afraid of, Mom… they’re using She-Ra.”

Catarrah nodded. “That’s why we’ve been so thoroughly trounced, ma’am. Her strength is what is allowing the Horde to retake all that territory so quickly. If we can rescue Adora, that should allow them to be beaten.”

“How do you plan to accomplish this?” Angella asked.

Catarrah stopped pacing and stood still. “We wait for them to make a move on Thaymor. We haven’t been able to get close to She-Ra yet, but in Thaymor they’ll have no choice. Once they arrive we can confront her directly. I’m confident we’ll be victorious.”

Angella smiled. “Then you have my permission, General. Good luck.”

Catarrah saluted. “Thank you, ma’am. I believe we’ll need it.”

* * *

Her biggest test came one year after she returned to the Horde. One morning, he ordered Adora into his chambers with a mission of his own. “Force Captain Adora, I have been pleased with your work these last several weeks,” he said, looking down at her. “Our conquest of Etheria is almost complete, we have just a few territories remaining to bring over onto our side. The first of these is Thaymor, a rebel fortress near Bright Moon. Do you think you can capture it, Force Captain?”

“I do, sir,” Adora replied, saluting. “When do we leave?”

“Immediately,” answered Hordak. “Good luck. Dismissed.” Adora left, high-stepping the entire way.

* * *

Some time later, Adora led her squad of soldiers toward the fortress of Thaymor. She carried the sword with her, held in a scabbard worn with a sword belt, which was wrapped around the shoulder. Marching alongside her was Scorpia, who was looking cheerful, as always. “Ahh! Nothing like a brisk morning march to get the blood going, right?” she said, smiling to her fellow Force Captain.

“It would help if the daymoons weren’t in our eyes,” Adora grumbled, shielding her eyes with one hand. “Recapturing Thaymor would be a lot easier if we could see what we were doing.”

“Maybe it’ll get cloudy!” Scorpia replied, her good mood not dampened in the slightest. “Look, we’re almost there!” Sure enough, in the distance the two of them could see some rebel guards standing in front of some kind of magical shield.

Adora smiled darkly. “Oh good, low-hanging fruit. This should be easy.” She approached the two guards and drew her sword. “Alright, you two, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” she said. “Lower your weapons and surrender peacefully, and you will be allowed to live. Refuse, and you will die painfully. What’s it going to be, ladies?”

One of the guards frantically reached for her radio while the other one drew her laser pistol, firing off several shots. Scorpia managed to deflect them easily with her claws and tail, and instead they hit the shield, causing it to flicker and die.

Adora grinned. “Looks like they picked the hard way.” She turned to her troops. “Attack the fortress on my signal! Take no prisoners! If you find Princess Glimmer and those lapdogs of hers, bring them to me and I will deal with them personally. Any questions?”

“What signal, ma’am?” asked someone, as Scorpia sent one of the guards flying into a tree with a sickening crunching noise.

“You won’t miss it,” replied Adora, thrusting her sword into the air. It caught the light and began to glow darkly. “FOR THE UNITY OF ETHERIA!” Then she began to transform, and the crowd of Horde soldiers behind her overwhelmed the barrier and streamed into the village. The nightmare had begun.

* * *

Across the village, Catarrah, Bow, Glimmer, and Catra were using Thaymor’s meetinghouse as a temporary base of operations. Repurposed Horde communicators allowed Catarrah to direct troops. The citizens had been ordered to stay in their homes in the event of invasion, so as to avoid civilian casualties. So far, things were quiet, but each one of them knew that wouldn’t be the case for long.

Finally, Bow voiced what they were all thinking: “Guys… what if we can’t save her?”

“Don’t talk like that, arrowhead,” Catra hissed. “We’ll save her! We’ve got to!”

“Catra, come on!” Glimmer exclaimed. “I know you’re thinking it too! She’s a completely different person now!”

“We’ll save her, everyone,” Catarrah said, hugging each one of them tight. (Catra purred quietly.) “I am certain of it. Shadow Weaver’s tricks can be beaten if you know how.” She looked to Catra. “And we know all about that, don’t we, my little wildcat?”

Catra blushed. “Moooooom… I’m not a kitten anymore.”

“You always will be to me,” Catarrah said, nuzzling the cat-girl’s cheek with her nose.

The sweet moment was interrupted by a call coming from Catarrah’s radio: “Squad General, the Horde have arrived. They seem to be waiting for a signal.”

“Fire at will, Colonel, but at all costs, do not shoot Force Captain Adora,” Catarrah barked. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, ma’am,” answered the colonel.

Then they all heard it, echoing across the village and striking terror into their hearts: “FOR THE UNITY OF ETHERIA!”

“Looks like that’s our cue,” Bow said, grabbing his bow and slinging his quiver of arrows along behind him.

“Stay together, and get as close as you can to Adora,” Catarrah said, leading them all outside. “Be prepared to subdue her! Use the maneuver I showed you!” The other three saluted, and together they marched off into battle, using their respective favored tricks: Bow fired arrows, Glimmer used her magic, Catra had hand-to-hand combat, and Catarrah had her battle form.

Fighting wasn’t easy. The two sides battled as hard as they could, but it was clear She-Ra gave the Horde an advantage that the rebels lacked. Soon, only She-Ra and her erstwhile family were left standing in the battlefield.

“It appears we are at an impasse,” said She-Ra, glaring at Catarrah and the others. “You are worthy opponents. That’s why I have not killed you yet.”

“That’s not the reason and you know it, Adora,” growled Catarrah. “You know we’re your family, your real family. No matter what spells that witch of Hordak’s put into your head, you can’t deny the truth of where you belong!”

“Silence, dog,” She-Ra snarled, pointing her sword at Catarrah. “Or I will cut off your head. My place is with the Horde.”

“Hey, if the Horde’s so freaking great, have you looked around this place lately?” Catra shot back. “This is a civilian town, sis! These aren't insurgents, they’re innocent people! They’re hiding in their homes because the Horde took the one symbol of hope they had and turned it against them! They’re scared of you!”

“Why should they be scared of me?” She-Ra asked. “My only wish is to unify Etheria under one banner.”

“Oh yeah?” Glimmer shouted. “Ever since The Horde got here, they've been poisoning our land, burning our cities, destroying everything in their path. And you're a part of it! How's that for orderly?”

“It is the way it must be,” She-Ra answered. “To cleanse the land and rebuild, the old must be destroyed.”

“That sounds like classic Hordak, alright,” Catra said. “Manipulation is his and Shadow Weaver's whole thing. That was why Catarrah took us in, remember?”

“I remember being sent away,” She-Ra hissed. “Rejected after I found the sword. Then Shadow Weaver found me and took me home.”

“Then turned you into this,” Catarrah said. “A demon from the pits of Hell. But we all know that’s not who you really are.” She reached out. “Come home with us, Adora. To Bright Moon, where you really belong.” Her furred hand wrapped around Adora’s, and her eyes began to glow as she cast magic of her own.

Memories filled Adora’s mind: escaping the Horde wit Catra and Catarrah, meeting Glimmer and Bow, a thousand sleepovers and birthday parties, visiting Mystacor and hanging out with Bow’s dads at their library. But then the tendrils of Shadow Weaver’s magic wrapped around her, changing the memories, falsifying them. Then, they weren’t in a battlefield anymore, but Adora’s own mind. She was a child again, a young girl. On one side, lit by moonlight, was Catarrah. On the other side, lit by the red light of the Black Garnet, was Shadow Weaver. Between them both was the Sword of Protection, restored to its normal look.

Shadow Weaver glared over at Catarrah. “I should’ve known you would try to tempt my daughter away from me,” she said. “But she’s so much stronger now, she doesn’t need you anymore!”

“She never needed you in the first place, witch,” Catarrah growled. “Clearly my first mistake was letting you live, I should’ve killed you all those years ago. It would have saved us all a lot of heartbreak. I’ve given her a home, unconditional love and acceptance, as any child should have! You’ve given her lies, deceit, and trickery. She is my daughter, and I will not let you take her away from me again!”

“But it’s not up to you,” Shadow Weaver pointed out. “This is Adora’s choice. She must make the decision.” She looked down at the blonde haired girl. “Pick up the sword, Adora.”

Adora picked up the sword, and in a flash she was fully grown, still looking indecisive. She looked first to Shadow Weaver. “You raised me from birth… you taught me how to talk, how to walk, and all the things a young girl growing up in the Fright Zone should know.”

Then she looked to Catarrah. “You showed me unconditional love, kindness, and acceptance. As I grew you showed me how to navigate the world as a young woman. But I’m torn.”

“You can only choose one,” said Shadow Weaver, the scenery around them changing to memories of her youth in the Fright Zone, and false memories of fights and anger in Castle Bright Moon.

“Don’t you dare,” Catarrah growled. Her hands began to glow, and the images changed to a scene with Shadow Weaver fighting two faceless figures, a man and a woman, the second of whom bore a strong resemblance to Adora. The figures fell to the ground and Shadow Weaver stood over them, gazing balefully down.

“Mom?” whispered Adora. “Dad?” She looked to Shadow Weaver again, her eyes wide. "You...killed my parents?”

"What?" scoffed the sorceress. “Don’t be ridiculous, Adora. Even I would never…” Then a realization dawned, and she turned to Catarrah. “You'd have been better off staying with the Horde using tactics like that,” she said, a smirk in her tone if not evident on her face. “We’re not so different, hm?"

The wolf stopped casting, the glow disappearing from her hands. "I will never be like you," she hissed, "You may have Adora now, but I know that girl. She'll see through your lies, and I don't need a spell for that.” Catarrah reached out and cupped Adora’s cheek in her hand. “When you think of me, what comes to mind?” she asked.

“Safety,” Adora replied. “Home. Love. Kindness. Acceptance.”

“And what do you imagine when you think of me?” asked Shadow Weaver.

Adora turned to look at the dark sorceress. “Training… power… rescued…”

“Yes, she did do all those things,” Catarrah conceded. “But think harder, pup.”

Adora was quiet, turning back to Shadow Weaver as more recent events came to mind. “You took me away from everyone who ever loved me and turned me into a monster! Etheria is scared of me now, because you turned me against them! You corrupted me, and I realize now that if Catra and I had stayed in the Horde all that time, we would’ve ended up just as cruel as you are now!”

Adora swung her sword into the air and became She-Ra, a white and gold angel of light. “YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME ANYMORE, SHADOW WEAVER,” she boomed. “AND I SHALL PROVE IT!” She ran to the dark side of the mindscape and drove her sword straight through the Black Garnet, causing it to crumble and break.

Shadow Weaver screamed, her voice echoing as she began to turn into black smoke. “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Adora ran back to Catarrah and embraced her, burying her face in her mother’s shoulder. The thick fur tingled against her skin. “Can we go home?” she asked quietly.

“Of course we can,” said Catarrah, smiling. Then there was a flash of light, and Adora knew no more.


	7. The Broken Runestone

When Adora woke up several hours later, the day moons had set, and the night moons were up instead. “Uuuugghh… I feel awful…” she moaned. “My everything hurts…”

“Don’t you dare get up, Commander,” said a gruff voice. A tall man wearing a white coat and stethoscope walked into the room (which was the hospital wing) with a frown on his face. He was an older man, pushing 60, with grey hair and thick eyebrows. “You just spent the last seven hours in what amounts to a magical concussion, quite frankly you should be glad you’re not dead.”

“Seven hours?!” Adora yelped. “But what about the battle?!”

“Done, dusted, and buried,” answered the doctor, scanning Adora with some sort of tool that made a buzzing noise whenever he pressed a button on the side. “Tie game. The Horde ran away when they saw the dark magic expelled from your body, and our side… well, apart from the senior staff, the rest are dead.”

“And where is the senior staff?” Adora asked. “I thought they’d be here.”

“Not until I specifically said they could come in,” said the doctor. “And now that I’ve verified you’re more or less in good enough shape for visitors, they can come in.” He snapped his fingers and the door at the end of the room opened, allowing Bow, Catra, Glimmer, and Angella inside.

Angella smiled warmly and helped Adora to sit up, embracing her. “Welcome back, Commander. It is good to have you back with us again.”

“Hey, Adora,” said Catra, nuzzling her quasi-sister’s cheek. “Thought you’d never wake up.”

“You scared the living daylights out of us,” added Bow. “After Catarrah touched you, you went into some kind of trance with her and then, the next thing we knew, you started screaming really awful screams. Then this shadow flew away from you and you were normal again.”

“I don’t remember much of anything after she touched me,” Adora admitted. “I’m glad you guys are here, and I’m really glad to be back… I’m sorry I let Shadow Weaver get to me.”

“No sweat,” Catra said, smiling too. “She’s kinda good at the whole manipulative thing. I’m just glad you’re alive. Need anything?”  
Adora blushed. “Some food would be nice, I haven’t eaten anything other than gruel in ages.”  
Angella nodded, “I believe we can arrange something. Glimmer, if you would please go down to the kitchens and inform them Adora is awake?”

“Sure, mom,” Glimmer replied, teleporting away after giving Adora a quick hug.

Angella turned back to Adora. “Do you have any other questions, my dear?” she asked.

“I’d just like to know a couple things,” said Adora. “Where’d my sword go? And where’s my mom?”

The mood in the room shifted as everyone, even Catra, began looking around awkwardly. “The sword is in good hands,” said Angella eventually. “As for your mother…”

“She’s been hiding in her office all day, and no one knows why,” Catra said. “She’s not letting anyone in. I don’t even think she knows you’re alive.”

“Oh.” Adora got up and stood. “Then we should go check on her! Maybe she needs our help!” She took a step forward, then immediately fell over, with only Bow catching her saving her from hitting the ground.

“She’s not leaving until I say so,” said the doctor, striding over. “I’ll let her have dinner, but after that it’s lights out. Got it?”

The others all nodded, and talked quietly with Adora some more as she ate. Then it was all over, and Adora sunk into a dreamless sleep, lulled to rest by the darkness.

* * *

For Catarrah, things were not going well. The last few days had been spent hiding from everyone: the castle servants, her subordinates, her family. She’d been absent in war council meetings and hadn’t turned up for meals either, preferring to eat alone in her room, or chase rabbits like her feral ancestors had done.

Through it all, her mind was wracked with guilt over what she had done to Adora during the battle for Thaymor, when she’d used magic to manipulate the girl into learning things about Shadow Weaver that weren’t true. The witch’s words echoed over and over in her mind, and she imagined Adora rejecting her when she finally learned the truth.

So, afraid of losing her daughter but also afraid of telling her anything, Catarrah hid instead, convincing herself that she wasn’t worth anyone’s love, that she had lied to and deceived everyone she’d ever met. It wasn’t hard.

Now she sat alone in her bedroom, the only light came from the night-moons shining through the window. It was quiet, she wasn’t playing any soothing music like she normally did. She just lay there, miserable, wishing the pain would end.

Then there came a knock on the door, and a voice: “Mom? Are you in there?” It was Adora. When Catarrah didn’t reply, Adora tried again: “I haven’t seen you since I got back... are you okay? Can I come in?” Still no answer. “Alright, I’m coming in whether you want me to or not.”

She turned the knob and found it turned easily. The door opened, and Adora came in, flicking on the lights. “Oh no... Mom, you look terrible!” she cried. “Should I get a doctor?”

“No,” Catarrah said in a hoarse voice. “Don’t, Adora... I don’t deserve one.”

Adora frowned and approached the bed. “What do you mean? No one deserves health care, it’s a fundamental right, and I...” She stopped. “Mom... what happened to you?”

Catarrah sighed. “If I answer that question, you probably won’t want me as your mother anymore. Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes,” said Adora softly. “Please.”

Catarrah nodded and closed her eyes, steeling herself. “Tell me... what do you remember of Thaymor?”

“Everything but the ending,” Adora said. “I remember you reaching out to touch me, and then the next thing I knew, I was back here, in the hospital wing.”

Catarrah nodded. “There’s a good reason for that... you know my species has a magic of our own, yes?”

“I do,” said Adora. “That lets you change into a four-legged wolf, right?”

“Among other things,” Catarrah said. “My magic works differently from what humans like Glimmer and Angella can do. We are natural healers... but that power can be used for good as well as evil. During Thaymor, I used some of my power to go into your mind, to try and cure the dark magic that had been affecting you.”

“Shadow Weaver was there... not physically, but because of her connection with the Black Garnet. Simply put, you were her puppet, and she pulled your strings. You were made to choose between us, and we both tried to influence your decision... if you’d chosen her, you would have stayed corrupted, unable to be purified. I couldn’t bear to lose you... so I created a few false memories of my own.”

“How come?” asked Adora gently. There was no judgment in her voice, only curiosity.

“Desperation and fear,” replied the wolf. “As I said, I didn’t want to lose you to the darkness... you’ve been away for a year, I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing you again. I was afraid that I would fail, that Shadow Weaver would remain in control… so I did what I thought was right. But in truth, it made me more like her.”

“Now that’s not true,” said Adora flatly. “I still don’t like that you did it, but I understand why. You weren’t acting out of your own desire for power or anything, like she always did. You just wanted your pack together. Shadow Weaver was just manipulating you, like she did to me and Catra for all those years.” She wrapped her arms around the wolf and hugged her tightly. “She may have raised me, but you made me who I am today, and I love you very much.”

Catarrah smiled and hugged Adora back, nuzzling her affectionately. “I love you too, little pup,” she whispered. “And I am very glad you’re home. However… I have bad news.”

Adora felt her heart sink. “What’s that?”

Catarrah got up and walked over to a corner of the room. She held up the Sword of Protection, its runestone was blue once again, but broken. “Being corrupted by the Black Garnet was bad enough, having dark magic forcibly ejected from it was too much for the stone. I’m afraid that unless we can find a way to strengthen your bond with it, there is no other way to repair it.”

Adora hugged the sword to herself and began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks. Catarrah held her close and stroked her, letting her cry for as long as she needed. That, it turned out, was quite a long time indeed. When she had finished, Adora found a cot and slept there, while Catarrah slept on the bed. There would be much to do in the morning, but for now, the important thing was that mother and daughter were back together. And so they slept peacefully, unburdened by dreams.

* * *

In the morning, the war council met to discuss the situation regarding the runestone. Adora now took her place next to Catra at the circular table, and also joining them were Bow’s parents, Lance and George. Since they were the foremost experts on She-Ra, they were most likely to know what, if anything, could be done about the Sword of Protection.

“Adora!” Lance bounced up and hugged the blonde woman tight, grinning. “Am I glad to see you! Bow was so broken-hearted when you disappeared, we’re glad you’re safe and sound.”

“Indeed we are,” said George, smiling faintly before resuming his usual stern expression.

Angella entered the room at that moment, carrying the Sword and laying it down on the table. It had obviously seen better days, for not only had the runestone shattered, but the blade itself had rusted. George ran his finger along it, frowning. “I must admit, Your Majesty, I’ve never seen anything like this before… I didn’t know runestones could break.”

“Neither did I,” Lance admitted, adjusting his glasses. “I couldn’t find anything in our books about this… it’s completely unprecedented!”

“Is there nothing that can be done?” Angella asked. “If the sword cannot be repaired, and Adora’s connection with it restored, then surely Etheria is lost.”

“Maybe we’re looking in the wrong place,” Catra said. “The runestone got corrupted by magic, right? Maybe magic is the one thing that can fix it.”

“Mom, why don’t we take the sword to Mystacor?” Glimmer suggested. “I bet Aunt Castaspella could help!”

“Perhaps,” Angella mused. “It is an option I’ll consider. Does anyone else have any suggestions?”

Catarrah raised a paw. “I do. There was an ancient Davdabhauan text that had an extremely powerful healing spell written in it, it was said to cure any affliction or ailment, other than death. Many years ago, the village I lived in caught fire, so I buried the book and got rescued by the Horde as the flames swept through the town.”

“Do you know how the fire started?” Adora asked.

Catarrah shook her head. “I never found out... I haven’t set paw there since I was a pup. But if I can find the book, we may be able to use the spell to fix the sword.”

Angella nodded. “It sounds like our best option, but I’ll talk to Castaspella in the meantime, as a backup.”

Catarrah nodded and turned to Adora and Catra. “So, girls, ready for a road trip?”

Both of them grinned and said, “You bet!”


	8. Homecoming

Adora, Catarrah, and Catra traversed through the wilds of Etheria, approaching a distant mountain range. They didn’t carry much, just 3 backpacks filled with supplies and some sleeping bags. They’d been on the road for a while now, and were just two days short of reaching their destination: Davdabhau, one of the least well-known of the many Etherian kingdoms.

“What do you think we’ll see when we get there?” Adora asked Catarrah as they approached a clearing to make camp for the night.

Her adoptive mother shrugged, “I haven’t the faintest idea... maybe they rebuilt the place after the fire. I certainly hope so. All those centuries of arcane knowledge and culture... irreplaceable. They'd be fools not to keep it alive somehow.”

“Do you know how the fire started?” Catra asked, taking off her sunglasses now that they were out of direct sunlight. Her leather jacket was draped around her shoulders.

Catarrah shook her head. “I honestly can’t remember… all I do recall is the Horde sweeping into town one day, rescuing the surviving villagers, and taking us all to the Fright Zone. Then I grew into the proud soldier that I was when we first met.” She sighed as she began building a fire. “I hope it’s okay… I don’t know what I’ll do if it’s not.”

“At least you have a home to go back to,” Catra said, helping Adora with dinner preparation. “When the Horde came to my old hometown, they just ransacked the place and burned it.”

Catarrah gave a thin smile. “Yes… I remember that night. You were one of the few survivors, I carried you out all by myself.” She finished with the fire and helped the other two cook, and they settled in to eat. By now night was falling, and the air was beginning to get cooler.

As they ate, Adora said: “What was Davdabhau like when you were growing up?”

At this, the wolf smiled fondly. “The most wonderful place you could ever want to live in… our society was a communal one, of course, everyone helped to raise the pups. When you were old enough to walk on your own you were taught to hunt, which meant shifting into quad-form, as we called it. At eleven, you were taught magic: mainly all manner of healing and cleansing spells.”

She looked up into the sky, staring at the moons. “I used to have a friend… her name was Yemil, and we were like sisters… then the fire came, and I didn’t see her when I was taken to the Fright Zone. I wonder what happened to her… I hope she’s safe.” She didn’t say much else as they unrolled their sleeping bags, too lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

Two days later, the trio arrived in Davdabhau, or at least, what was left of it. Where once was a sprawling village that echoed with the sounds of laughing and playing children and the howls of adults, there was now an ashen remnant. Scraps of buildings were everywhere, and burned objects littered the landscape. The graves to honor the dead had been desecrated by Horde soldiers, centuries of art and culture and history had been lost forever.

Catarrah did not move or speak as they approached the wreckage. She simply stood, stared, and watched. After a long while, she finally growled: “They set the fire… I should have realized it wasn’t an accident.”

Adora and Catra looked to each other, trading concerned looks. They had never seen her like this before. Catarrah seemed to have forgotten they were there, she was running now to a particular ruin: where a house had once stood. She could see a singed photo of a red furred wolf lying on the ground, its frame had melted. She put it away and looked around some more.

In the distance, a group of Horde soldiers were preparing to lay down some concrete. The place they’d chosen had once been a meadow where Catarrah and her friends had played, now it was dusty and barren. The soldiers talked and laughed as they worked, they hadn’t noticed the new arrivals.

Catarrah walked toward them, looking casual and calm. “And just what do you lot think you’re doing?” She asked, in a cool voice.

The dozen soldiers all jumped and turned to face her. “Expanding the Fright Zone,” said one, a girl named Lonnie. “With all the new recruits, we need more space, so Shadow Weaver ordered us to start work out here.”

“This is not your territory,” Catarrah growled. “It belongs to my people.”

“It belongs to the Horde!” said another soldier. “No one has lived here for years!”

“Who are you, anyway?” Lonnie asked. “Some kind of wildlife preserver or something?”

“My name is Catarrah Sicmet, ex-Force Captain and now, apparently, the last daughter of Davdabhau,” Catarrah whispered, narrowing her eyes. “You have ten seconds to make yourselves scarce or I will deliver the lot of you to Satan’s gates myself.”

A third soldier, Kevin, blanched. “Uh, guys? We should go. Now.”

“Why?” Lonnie asked. “She said she’s an ex-Force Captain. What do we have to be afraid of? We’re younger and stronger than she is!”

“Once again, my name is Catarrah Sicmet,” snarled the wolf. “Your ten seconds are up.” She transformed, dropping onto four paws. “You have trespassed here long enough! I will avenge my dead sisters or die in the attempt! Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” said Lonnie. “Let’s bring Hordak a pet dog, guys! Attack!” They fired their weapons, but in her battle form Catarrah was stronger and tougher than usual, meaning she withstood them easily. She pounced on the soldier nearest her and tore him to shreds, blood flying every which way as he screamed for mercy.

“GET OFF OF HIM, YOU WALKING FLEA CONDO!” Lonnie shouted, trying to pull Catarrah off her comrade.

Someone swiped at her hand with a set of deadly sharp claws and said, “Get away from our mom. Or else.”

There was a gurgling noise, and the Horde soldier Catarrah had been fighting breathed his last and died, the wolf looming over him. Lonnie refused to give up and simply ordered for those who were still alive to take Catarrah and Catra prisoner. The battle began in earnest then, as mother and daughter used the weapons nature gave them against their enemies. Adora joined in too, for even though she couldn’t become She-Ra, she still knew how to fight.

Outnumbered though the trio was, there was no denying their fierceness. Soon the battle came to an end, as with half of her group either dead or injured, Lonnie chose to make a tactical retreat. The Horde soldiers left, leaving the three rebels in peace at last.

Adora held her mother’s paw as she changed back into her biped form. “I’m really sorry, Mom… I was looking forward to seeing where you came from.”

“As was I,” Catarrah said. “But we also came here to find a book… and I remember where I buried it.” She walked back to the ruins of one particular house. Burned remnants of furniture littered the place, which mainly consisted of a frame and a dirt floor. She gestured around. “This was the house I grew up in,” she explained. “And I buried the book where any child who wants to keep things safe would do the same: my bedroom.”

And with that, she got down on her knees and began to dig. Catra and Adora joined in, and soon they had a large hole that went down several feet into the ground. They dug some more until finally, Catarrah saw the edge of a book’s spine and grabbed it, heaving it out of the dirt. For a book that had been buried underground for forty years, it was in remarkable condition.

“How come it hasn’t fallen apart?” Catra asked, taking the book in her hands. “I would’ve thought it would be worm food by now.”

“Preservation spells,” Catarrah explained. “Due to its importance it was one of the few books to be given one. So, it looks exactly as it did on the day I buried it. I suppose I didn’t need to do that, but you know me.”

“Always have a contingency plan,” Adora and Catra both said in unison.

Catarrah nodded. “Exactly.” She slipped the book into her bag and began to climb out of the hole. Once they’d climbed out and refilled the hole, Catra and Adora began to prepare lunch while Catarrah leafed through the book, humming thoughtfully. Then she got to a certain page and let out a yip of excitement, beaming. “Girls, it’s here! It’s really here!”

“What is?” Adora asked, coming over. “The spell you were talking about?”

Catarrah nodded eagerly. “This, Adora, is spell of the White Wolf.”

“The spell of the White Wolf?” echoed the other two.

“Who’s that?” asked Catra.

“Our creator,” answered Catarrah. “According to the old books, she was the only one of our kind who could cast these spells naturally, without needing to read the incantation. It is because of her that we have our magic, and while almost all of her spells are still in use today, this one is so powerful that it can take years off of your life, so you can only cast it once. But more importantly? It can cure anything. And it might just be the key to restoring the Sword of Protection.”

“How does it work?” Adora asked.

“I would place my hands on your shoulders, like so,” Catarrah began, doing exactly that. “Then I would say the incantation, and then, so long as you’re holding the sword while I do this, both it and you will be purified.”

“And… you’re sure that’s all that will happen?” Adora asked. “Has it ever been cast on humans before?”

For this, Catarrah had no answer. “That’s… actually a fair question. I don’t think so. I would check the library, but… well, I can’t really do that now, thanks to the Horde.”

Her tail drooped, and her ears pinned back. “They didn’t just burn a kingdom down, they killed an entire culture, a whole way of life. There might not be any Vulpanans left now, except for me. And the thought of that… it makes me want to march down to the Fright Zone, light a match, and burn the place to the ground.”

“Well, we can’t exactly do that yet,” Adora said, “But you can cast the spell.”

Catarrah nodded. “Indeed I can.”

* * *

The rest of the day passed in relative quiet. Catarrah went to a small cemetery to pay respects for those she’d lost, then cooked dinner for herself and her daughters. The night-moons, all of them bright as can be, shone down from the heavens. When at last they had eaten, Catarrah added some more wood to their fire, then told Adora to fetch the sword.

This Adora did, and Catarrah took out the spell book, opening it to the page with the healing spell on it. She read the incantation several times over and then, when she was sure she had it memorized, she began to speak it aloud, placing her paws on Adora’s shoulders as she’d demonstrated earlier.

A magical wind began to blow, cool against Adora’s skin, and the fur coats of Catra and Catarrah. Ghostly, spectral howls were heard. The words she spoke were unpronounceable by humans, but that hardly mattered. Adora could feel something coursing through her and flowing to the sword. The broken shards within began to reconnect, the rust and grime falling away. Soon the sword was restored again, glowing like a beacon in the moonlight.

Adora knew there was only one thing left to do. She widened her stance, swung the sword up above her head, and called: “FOR THE HONOR... OF GRAYSKULL!”


	9. She-Wolf

As before, Adora began to transform once again. Now that the dark magic was purged, her outfit had been returned to the same white with gold accents look that she usually wore. Her hair lengthened, and she grew several inches in height. The sword shone brightly, and she smiled. “Ah... it feels good to be back!” Adora said, turning to Catra and Catarrah.

But something seemed off. Catra was smirking, but she didn’t know why. Catarrah was looking befuddled and worried. Adora frowned. “Mom, what’s wrong? The spell worked great! I’m back to normal!”

“I... wouldn’t exactly say that, pup,” said Catarrah, coughing. “Tell me... where are your ears?”

“What are you talking about?” Adora tilted her head to one side, confused. “They’re right on the side of my...” She reached up to touch one, but found only skin. Catarrah pointed up, and she ran her fingers through her hair, where she found the truth: she had new ears, triangular and furry. They were cream colored, like Catarrah’s markings.

“And that’s not all,” said Catra, pointing. “You have a tail too!”

Adora looked down and found that there was indeed a tail poking through a hole in her shorts. It was bushy, and again cream colored with grey at the tip. She wagged it, astonished. “What... what’s happening to me?”

“Well, you did ask if the healing spell had been cast on humans before,” Catarrah said. “I suppose not, if this is happening.” She pulled Adora close and hugged her. “You’re turning into a wolf, sweetie. A Davdabhauan, like me.”

“Weird…” Adora’s fingers brushed up against her tail, and she wagged it. Then, testing something, she changed out of She-Ra form. The ears and tail remained. “Oookaaaay. Yeah, this is definitely permanent…”

“Fine with me,” said Catra, still smirking. “And I thought you looked hot as a giant sword lady.”

Adora blushed. “Catra, what are you talking about? We’re practically sisters!”

Catra shrugged. “Why, because we were raised together? Get real, Adora. We’re not even blood related! I can have a crush on you if I want!” She clapped her hands over her mouth. She’d said too much.

Adora just stood there, Catra’s words echoing around in her head. This was becoming too much! First Davdabhau’s ruins, then the fact that the spell her mom used was changing her into another species, and now this?! All of a sudden, she felt very lightheaded.

“Mom… we don’t have to go back to Bright Moon right now, do we?” She asked, in a dazed voice.

Catarrah shook her head. “Only when you’re ready, pup. Why do you ask?”

“Because right now… I really need a nap,” Adora said, keeling right over.

* * *

Other than Adora freaking out about how her friends would react to her changing body and whether or not she could still be She-Ra as a wolf, the journey back to Bright Moon was uneventful. The difficult part came when they returned to the castle proper.

“Ladies, it is good to see you have returned in one piece,” Angella said from her throne. “Was there any…” she trailed off, as Adora’s new ears and tail registered in her brain. “Why, Adora, what in the world has happened to you?!”

“It’s kind of a long story, your majesty,” Adora said, blushing.

“But the gist of it is that the healing spell worked perfectly,” Catarrah said. “The Sword of Protection is once again functional, and Adora now has full use of her magic.”

“A little too perfectly, it would seem,” Angella said, frowning. “However, I am glad the Sword has been restored. Commander Adora, report to the infirmary at once, I will have Castaspella see if your… changes can be reverted.”

“Ma’am, I must protest!” Catarrah interrupted, raising her hand. “My kind’s magic doesn’t work the way that yours does, trying to remove her ears and tail would be like trying to remove mine!”

“Be that as it may, General,” said Angella loudly, “It is out of my hands. The people of Etheria are already afraid as a result of Adora’s actions while she was with the Horde, I cannot risk frightening them more! That is my final word on the matter! General, you are dismissed!”

Catarrah saluted, then turned and marched off to the infirmary, Adora following along beside her. “Humans... afraid of change, the lot of them...” she muttered, once they were out of Angella’s earshot. “Be honest: how are you holding up, Adora?”

“Honestly? It’s still kinda weird,” Adora admitted, her ears pinning back as she spoke. “I mean, I have new muscles that work completely differently… but at the same time it’s like they were there all along. But I’m not scared. I still feel like me, I just look a little different.”

Catarrah smiled at that and gave Adora’s cheek a gentle nuzzle. “That’s good. Hold on to that, pup. If I’m right, you’re going to be getting a lot more than a new set of ears and a tail… by the time everything is settled, it’s entirely possible you’ll look like the blood daughter I never had.”

Adora smiled back. “That would be nice. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too,” said Catarrah softly. Then she pushed open the infirmary door and headed inside.

Castaspella was waiting for them, a warm and welcoming smile on her face. “It’s good to see you again, Adora,” she said, hugging the blonde woman. “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly? Fine, all things considered,” Adora replied, shrugging. “Still getting used to my new body parts, but like I was telling Mom, they also feel… normal.”

Castaspella nodded, “Now that is interesting… I must admit, I’m looking forward to studying your race’s magic, Catarrah.”

Catarrah chuckled. “Always happy to lend a paw, Castaspella. What’s the plan?”

“Oh, just a simple diagnostic spell,” Castaspella said, her hands already beginning to glow. She waved them in a complex-looking pattern, and a circular matrix formed in midair. She pushed it toward Adora, who was bathed in cool blue light for a few moments.

Castaspella nodded. “Well, I don’t recognize the matrix, but I can tell you the ears and tail can’t be removed… they’re as much a part of her as anything else. But I am wondering…” She tapped her chin, then turned to Adora. “Can you turn into She-Ra for a bit? I want to test something.”

Adora nodded and withdrew her sword, turning into She-Ra with a flash of gold-white light. When the light faded, she’d changed some more: she now had a black nose just like Catarrah’s, and what looked like a very thin coat of cream fur with grey markings.

“Well… looks like my guess was right,” said Catarrah, staring at Adora in awe. “Maybe I’ll be able to teach you our kind’s magic now…”

“I’d like that,” Adora said, hugging Catarrah tight. Very tight.

“Adora!” Catarrah gasped, “Airways, please!”

Adora quickly let go, “Oops, sorry… didn’t mean to do that.”

“Don’t worry,” Catarrah said with a smile. “Are we free to go, Castaspella?”

Castaspella nodded. “She’s perfectly healthy. Bow and Glimmer are around somewhere, I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you.”

Adora nodded and, after changing back into herself, hurried off to go find her friends, her tail wagging furiously.

* * *

“So, what do you think Adora’s doing right now?” Bow asked, as he sharpened some of his arrows. He and Glimmer were relaxing in the latter’s room, glad to have a day off from training.

Glimmer shrugged, not looking up from her mystery novel. “Maybe they found some ancient Davdabhauan ruins and they’re exploring.”

“Or maybe they got abducted by aliens!” Bow waved his arms around.

Glimmer laughed, “Sounds to me like someone’s been reading too many sci-fi books lately,” she teased. “What was this one about? The guy in the blue box?”

“No!” Bow shot back, a little too quickly.

“Glimmer, come on,” said a new voice. “Give him a break! If I really had been abducted by aliens, I’d be the last to know.” Adora was standing in the doorway, watching with an amused smile.

Bow looked up. “Oh hey Adora, when did you- OH MY GOODNESS! GLIMMER! I THINK SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH ADORA!”

“What?!” Glimmer teleported down to the floor and gaped. “Adora, what happened?! You… you’re turning into a wolf!”

“Yeah, I know,” Adora said casually, inspecting her nails. They’d gotten darker and sharper, making them look more like claws. “We got the Sword working again, but there were some… side effects.”

“I’ll say,” Bow said, looking Adora up and down. “I didn’t know that was even possible!”

“Neither did I,” Adora admitted. “Then Mom used one of her… our… her kind’s healing spells on me and the sword and, the next time I became She-Ra, I got ears and a tail.”

“Wow…” Glimmer ran her fingers along Adora’s coat, and booped her nose. “And this is… permanent, right? You won’t be able to change back?”

Adora shook her head. “Nope. Your aunt confirmed it, this is my new look. What do you think?”

“Not gonna lie, it’s a little freaky,” Bow replied. “But I think we can get used to it. Right, Glimmer?”

Glimmer nodded. “Absolutely. We aren’t going to abandon you over something like this! The Best Friend Squad is forever!”

Adora smiled and hugged them both. “Yeah… forever.”

* * *

Adora’s transformation continued over the next few days. Her fur got longer, her hands developed pads on the palm and on each finger, her feet shifted into paws, making boots basically unnecessary. She even developed a muzzle, and much sharper teeth. By the time all was said and done, she’d been completely transformed into a Davdabhauan, with all the physical abilities that entailed.

So, once she was fully changed, she began a new morning routine: a shower, followed by brushing out her hair and fur so they looked their best. After a quick breakfast (she ate a lot more meat now, being a carnivore), she’d train with her platoon for a few hours, then go out with Catarrah to either practice hunting (including shifting into her own battle form) or healing magic. After some time, she’d gotten quite strong, which only enhanced her abilities as She-Ra.

The only problem was, the rest of Etheria hadn’t seen her as a wolf yet. The denizens of Bright Moon had, after a few months, become quite used to the idea (even Angella, with some prodding from Castaspella), but as far as the wider world was concerned, She-Ra had gone missing. The time had come for her to make a return, and Angella knew exactly where to go.

“I must stress that this is will be a dangerous mission,” Angella said in the war room. “Plumeria has struggled to regain its independence since Horde occupation began last year, you must do all you can to free the kingdom and invite Perfuma to join the Princess Alliance.”

“We’ll do our best, your majesty,” Adora said.

Angella nodded, smiling. “I know you will. Good luck, all of you.”

And so, Adora, Catra, Bow, Glimmer, and a small squadron of backup troops (all wearing their blue and white Rebellion uniforms, of course) marched toward Plumeria. Though the journey started with clear skies, the weather grew increasingly stormy as they got closer.

“ARE WE THERE YET?!” Catra shouted over the wind, looking to Bow.

Bow squinted at his tracker pad. “WE SHOULD BE, BUT I DON’T UNDERSTAND! WHERE ARE ALL THE TREES AND FLOWERS?!” Indeed, the landscape around them was almost entirely devoid of plant life. Even the Heart-stone tree was missing.

“LOOKS LIKE THEY ALL DIED!” Catra said, glancing around at everything. “NO SURPRISE, GET A LOAD OF THAT!” She pointed at a huge ramshackle building that was belching black smoke into the dark sky.

Glimmer cast a shield spell so they could talk in normal voices. “What have they done to the place?” she asked, tears in her eyes. “This looks awful!”

“Looks to me like they built a munitions plant,” Adora said, frowning. “And forced all the Plumerians to work for them. Do you see any people around?”

Bow shook his head. “Nope. Not even guards… guess they figured no one would try to liberate the place.”

“Good thing we’re here, then!” Adora said, drawing her sword. “Let’s go save Plumeria!” Glimmer dropped the shield, and Adora exclaimed: “FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL!”

Since completing her transformation into a wolf, Adora’s She-Ra form looked a little different. She still had the white and gold outfit, but the boots were missing. What was more, her connection to the sword influenced her Davdabhauan battle form, giving her a humanoid upper half, while her lower half was quadrupedal. Getting used to walking on four legs had taken some work, but Adora had always been a fast learner.

Once changed, the three bipeds in the group climbed onto Adora’s back and they ran right for the front doors of the factory, the remaining troops following along in their wake.

* * *

Time had not been kind to Perfuma. Since the Horde had successfully taken over Plumeria (with the She-Ra in their midst, even!), they wasted no time in razing the kingdom, transforming it into a miniature Fright Zone and munitions factory, with her people on the assembly lines. She’d gone from a princess of Etheria to a cog in the evil machine that had changed her home for the worse, and she couldn’t stand it.

However, seeing Etheria’s last hope turned to the dark side scared her too. It seemed now that there was nothing left to hope for, except maybe a relatively painless death. That, surely, would be preferable to life on a world where the Horde reigned supreme.

Which was why, when she heard the sound of rebel soldiers rampaging through the factory, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. She thought the rebels were dead! And as for the one leading them… was that a wolf?! Dressed like the She-Ra?!

“It can’t be…” Perfuma whispered. “It just can’t be…”

But it was. An enormous centaur-like wolf creature was bounding through the place, with a cat and two humans perched on its… no, her, the creature was clearly female, back. She had a white dress with a golden circlet around her head, and she carried a sword, which she used to fight off any Horde soldiers foolish enough to approach her.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF HORDAK IS GOING ON DOWN HERE?!” boomed a male voice. Force Captain Sendak came marching over, furious. “WHAT’S ALL THIS…” He trailed off, seeing the changed She-Ra, her friends, and the two dozen soldiers behind them.

Adora grinned, baring sharp white teeth. “Hello, I’m She-Ra. The real She-Ra. The last time I was in Plumeria, I wasn’t myself, literally. But not anymore! I might look a little different now, but the important thing is, I have a duty to protect Etheria, and I will uphold that.”

She leveled her sword at Sendak and said, “You have a choice. You can either surrender, take apart this factory, and go back to the Fright Zone, or you can choose to fight me while my friends take apart the factory instead. You’ll lose, by the way, because between my magic and my Davdabhauan strength, I’m practically unstoppable.” She looked down her muzzle at him, and flicked her tail. “What’ll it be?”

Sendak’s merciless black eyes met Adora’s warm blue ones as he said, “Stand and fight, mangy dog. I don’t care what you call yourself, it will be I who defeat you in the end!”

Adora’s grin, if possible, got even wider. “If you say so.” She turned to her friends and the squad of troops behind her. “The rest of you, free the Plumerians and start destroying the factory! We’ll take any prisoners with us back to Bright Moon! Got it?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” The others said, all of them saluting. Catra, Bow, and Glimmer got off her back and led the troops deeper into the factory, while Adora and Sendak went to a wide-open space to fight.

Perfuma saw her chance. She got up from her station and whipped the grey cap she’d been wearing (it was marked with a Horde symbol), allowing her long blonde hair to flow freely. Focusing on her own magic (the Heart-Stone was kept somewhere deep inside the building), she began to summon vines to aid in the destruction of the factory.

The other Plumerians were inspired by this and got to work assisting the rebels, turning against their Horde overlords with great enthusiasm. Though the Horde soldiers put up a good fight, the combined strength of the rebels, the Plumerians, and Perfuma’s plant magic meant they were effectively outnumbered, and so they fled. Other than Sendak, of course.

Sendak grinned as the enormous wolftaur stepped toward him. "You aren't the only one with a sword, Princess," he said, pressing a button on his cane. The bottom part retracted to reveal a sharp blade that looked as though it could slice up Adora without a problem.

The two began to fight, their swords clinking together as they parried, stabbed, and thrusted. Adora had strength and power on her side however, and Sendak knew he had to take her sword out of the equation if he was going to have even a slim chance at besting her. So when his next turn came, rather than aim his sword at her, he instead hit the Sword of Protection with the flat part of his blade.

Adora was so surprised by this that she let go of the hilt, sending her sword flying into the air as Sendak's blade hit it. Sendak caught it expertly and grinned again. "Surrender, dog, and I will let you live."

Adora changed back into her normal two-legged wolf self and growled, pinning her ears back. "I don't need a sword to kick Horde tail," she snarled. "I have claws." She pounced at him, her claws glinting in the factory's fluorescent lighting.

Sendak tried to fight back, but the Sword of Protection was much heavier than his cane, and its weight threw him off. He dropped it to the floor just as Adora landed on him. She rolled off him on to her back and snatched up her sword again, changing back into She-Ra. She smiled dangerously, looking down at him. “Still think you can take me?”

Sendak sighed and put away his weapon. “I yield.”

Adora patted him on the head, “Good boy.”

Then there came the sound of marching feet as one of the rebel soldiers came to give a report. “We’ve taken the factory, m’lady. Princess Perfuma has asked to speak with you.”

“Does she want She-Ra or Adora?” Adora asked.

“I believe she requested to see The She-Ra, ma’am,” the soldier replied.

Adora nodded. “Lead the way, cadet.” And away she went.

* * *

Perfuma was sitting in Sendak’s office. When Adora entered, she got to her feet and inclined her head. “I always said the universe will repay the Horde one day, it seems that day has come at last!” She smiled. “It is wonderful to see you fighting on the side of good again, She-Ra. But I have one question: why do you look like a wolf?”

Adora blushed. “Long story, I’ll explain later. I have a question of my own: Queen Angella has ordered us to bring back the Princess Alliance, and we need your help. Will you join us?”  
Perfuma nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! I’ll spread the word out across Etheria, we’ll do all we can to support you!”  
“We appreciate it,” Adora said, smiling. “Will you need any assistance tearing down the factory?”

“Much,” Perfuma replied. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Adora shook her head. “Not at all. Let’s get started!” She and Perfuma left the office, ready to begin the long process of rebuilding Plumeria.


End file.
